


Pas de Deux

by OnTheFritz



Series: Tumblepounce fics [2]
Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - T. S. Eliot
Genre: M/M, silly stuff, very vague mentions of unseen canoodling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 09:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30053106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnTheFritz/pseuds/OnTheFritz
Summary: It's time for another couple to announce their relationship at the Jellicle Ball. No one is prepared for Tumble and Pounce's union.Vague mentions of unseen canoodling and scuffling but overall just a silly fic.
Relationships: Pouncival/Tumblebrutus (Cats)
Series: Tumblepounce fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2213961
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Pas de Deux

Another year, another Jellicle Ball, and what a wonderful night it was turning out to be. Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots took a quick breather on the sidelines, neither one too old to dance but not quite as energetic as they once were. They settled together underneath the tire to watch the others frolic and rejoice under the light of the Jellicle Moon. 

Up above them on the tire sat Munkustrap and Old Deuteronomy, their quiet conversation barely audible over the dance and song. Things were moving along quite nicely this year thanks to Munk’s tireless efforts to keep things running smoothly.

“Ah, yes, just about time for the annual pas de deux.” Skimble sighed. “One of my favorite parts of the ball, seeing couples officially declare their love for one another. But who is going to participate this year?”

“I don’t know.” Jenny frowned. “Normally it’s known before now, or at the very least there are rumors about it, but neither myself nor Jelly have heard anything.”

“Very odd.”

“Very odd, yes.” Jenny tapped her chin. “I can’t imagine that the couple involved would purposefully skip out on all the rehearsals or fail to tell anyone that they planned on announcing their union. It would wildly irresponsible to leave it all up to chance.”

Old Deuteronomy smiled, rose to his feet and left his spot on the tire with all the grace and dignity belonging to a wise Jellicle Leader. Munkustrap, ever watchful guardian and official guide to the ball, a tom of great confidence and poise, let out an uncomfortable cough. 

“What was that, dear?” Jennyanydots asked.

Munk coughed again. It sounded suspiciously like ‘ble nd nce’.

“You’re not coming down with something, are you? You know you always run yourself ragged with rehearsals right on up to the ball. Especially this year it seems, since apparently no one knows who will be doing the mating dance-”

“I know who it is.” Munk interrupted.

“Well who will it be?” Skimble asked. 

Munk muttered again under this breath, eyes darting around the crowd of cats still dancing before them. Things were winding down towards the cue for the lucky couple to take center stage. Still there was no indication of who that lucky couple would be.

“Have you known all along?” Jenny tried a different approach for information.

“No.” Munk sighed, looking like he would rather throw himself off the tire than admit the fact that he hadn’t known up until now. “Old Deuteronomy just informed me who it will be.”

“Well?” Both Jenny and Skimble asked.

“I don’t even know what to expect.” Munk sighed, ignoring the question. “How they even got together in the first place, let alone kept their relationship a secret from everyone except for Old Deuteronomy, is a mystery to me. In fact, it’s an alarming mystery because now I’m wondering what else I don’t know. If I was blind to this happening underneath my nose then who knows what else I don’t know. Of course, I wouldn’t know what I don’t know because then I would know it and that would obviously take away the fact that I didn’t know it, thus-”

“Munkustrap, dear, please remember to breathe.” Jenny jumped up to sit next to the stressed out cat. 

“Yes, please don’t work yourself into a fit before the night is over.” Skimble sat on his other side.

Munk took a very deep breath. “I can do this. We can survive this. Just need to… oh no.”

The time had come. Everyone gathered around in a large circle to cuddle up on one another and take a breather from the previous dance. The moon shone brightly from above to the center of the stage, the Everlasting Cat herself seeming to be watching for the newest Jellicle union to take their places. A still, comfortable silence fell upon them all, anticipation rising among them all. 

Nothing happened. Someone sneezed. Munk sighed.

“Is something supposed to be happening right now?” Etcetera asked loudly from her spot on the ground. “Anyone know who’s supposed to be out there?”

Murmurs traveled throughout the confused Jellicles. Never before had a couple missed their cue nor had there been this much secrecy about who the couple would be. Off in the corner Old Deuteronomy sat and smiled to himself, completely serene with the turn of events. It was the only thing keeping everyone from continuing the show.

Then, without warning, two voices announced themselves from behind the tire where Jenny, Skimble and Munk currently sat.

“Hey, hold on, was that us?”

“I dunno, I was too busy kissing y-”

“Shutupshutupshutup I think that’s our cue.” There was a frantic shuffling noise from somewhere in the junk. “Pounce, I told you we didn’t have time-”

“Oh, sure, blame me even though you were just as into it as I was-”

“Shut up and get going!”

Suddenly a very disheveled Pouncival was thrown up over the top of the tire, scampering right over the spot Old Deuteronomy had been sitting just minutes before, followed by an equally rumpled Tumblebrutus. Both rocketed off the tire and came to a screeching halt in the center of the moonlight.

“Uh, sorry for the wait.” Tumble hurriedly tried to smooth down the fur that was sticking up in various places.

“Yeah, uh, we had a, um, important meeting.” Pounce’s attempt at innocence was ruined by his satisfied grin.

Munk sighed again. Both Jenny and Skimble shook their heads.

“Um, I guess that’s our cue.” Pounce turned to Tumble. “Ready?”

“Er, yeah.” Tumble took up a solid stance and held out his arms. Pounce mirrored his pose.

“Uh, Tumble, what are you doing?”

“I was gonna ask you that.”

“Obviously I’m gonna lift you up.”

“Excuse me?” Tumble looked at the smaller cat incredulously. So did everyone else around them.

“Yeah, that’s what you do during the mating dance.”

“It’s called a pas de deux-”

“I don’t care how many ducks there are, get over here so I can lift you!”

“Pounce, I’m lifting you!”

“No you’re not!”

“Yeah I am!”

“Like hell you are!” Pounce lunged at the tom he supposedly was calling his mate. Easily Tumble sidestepped him, sending the tom flying headfirst into Etcetera.

“Ow! Pounce, get off me!”

“Sorry Cettie.” Pounce dusted her off a bit and turned around to face Tumble, who was slowly circling him like a panther sneaking up on its prey. “Don’t you even dare you brute, I know all your tricks- argh! No!”

Tumble sprung forward and tackled Pounce into a somersault, flipping them both over until he came out on top. Triumphantly he held his struggling prize in the air. With great difficulty he slowly turned around in a circle to show off his beloved mate. Said beloved mate was cursing up a storm.

“Well, that’s certainly a… surprise.” Skimble said as diplomatically as he could manage.

“Don’t you normally assist during this part?” Jenny gave him a sideways glance, unwilling to take her eyes fully away from the sight before them. 

“Absolutely.” Skimble’s eyes widened as Pounce managed to break free and kicked Tumble right in the sternum. “Absolutely not.”

“Why did it have to be them?” Munk muttered through the paws covering his face. “The junkyard isn’t going to survive it.”

“Old Deuteronomy knew about this?” Jenny asked.

“Yes. He said he wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Well color us all surprised.” Skimble noted.

“Tumble, I mean it, if you try to lift me again I’m gonna bite you so hard-”

“Oh shut up Pounce, you like it when I bite you-”

“Yeah but not when you’re trying to lift me in the air like a queen-”

Everyone sat and watched the show. No one was either brave or stupid enough to come between the quarreling toms and, in a roundabout way, their fighting was still rhythmic enough to be considered somewhat of a dance.

“Stop- running- around!” Each word was punctuated by one of Tumble’s signature flips.

“No! I refuse!” Every time Tumble was airborne Pounce slid underneath him to change direction. It was an impressive, if nerve wracking, display of agility. At one point he tripped over his own tail and started to fall, only for Tumble to reach out and grab his foot.

With as much grace as he could muster Tumble yanked on Pounce’s foot and hauled him closer, wrapping his arms around the tom and holding him tightly to him. In retaliation Pounce did a dramatic back bend to break the Tumble’s hold. Back and forth they wrestled with one another, neither conceding defeat, both unaware of the audience that simply watched and waited for the end of their dance.

“I have to admit that it is a memorable announcement of their union.” Skimble said.

“I agree, we won’t be forgetting this one any time soon.” Jenny nodded.

Munk let out a small sigh and looked up at the sky in a silent plea for it all to end. Whether he was wishing for the dance or the entire world to end was left unknown.

Finally the two toms ran out of steam.

“I… I win.” Tumble panted, holding on to Pounce’s shoulder for support as he tried to catch his breath.

“No… you don’t.” Pounce, equally as exhausted, sank to the floor, bringing Tumble with him.

At least this was a cue everyone could agree on. Skimble and Jenny slid down from the tire to join the cats who had surrounded the newly recognized couple, everyone keeping a bit of a safe distance in case Pounce and Tumble decided to fight again.

“Love you, doofus.” Tumble muttered, holding Pounce tightly to him.

“Yeah, love you too, you brute.” Pounce kicked him affectionately in the shin and settled in his arms.

The Everlasting Cat smiled down upon them all, blessing the union with her otherworldly light.

Munkustrap let out another small sigh and traded a look of resignation with Old Deuteronomy from across the stage. Another year, another happy couple.


End file.
